March 30, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS 



CHR NI CL E. 



209 





PERPETUAL-FLOWERING 



CARNATION. 



.March 21, 22.— The twelfth exhibition of this 

 society was held on these dates in the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster, 

 being much the finest show held by this society. 

 Large trade groups formed a special feature. 

 The weather was wet on both days, but there 

 was a large attendance of visitors. 



Open Classes. 



Mr. W. E. Wallace, Eaton Bray, was 

 awarded a gold medal for a collection of Car- 

 nation blooms in not fewer than 12 varieties 

 staged on a table space and judged in regard 

 to quality, variety, and decorative effect, hav- 

 ing splendid examples of Gloriosa, May Day, 

 Winsor, R. F. Felton, White Perfection, Lady 

 Audley Neild, and Bonfire. Col. W. F. C. 

 Rideoi-t. Langley, was awarded the 2nd prize, a 

 silver-gilt medal, and Messrs. All wood Bros., 

 Wivelsfield Green, were placed 3rd, having a 

 splendid vase of the fine yellow variety, La 

 Rayonnante. 



Mr. C. Engelmann, Saffron Walden, secured 

 the Brunton Challenge Cup offered for British 

 raised seedlings with the varieties Lady North- 

 cliffe, Triumph, and Carola. 



A Challenge Cup presented by the American 

 Carnation Society for the best three vases of 

 American-raised novelties distributed since 

 January 1, 1910, was won by Mr. W. E. 

 Wallace with well-finished blooms of Mrs. 

 C. W. Ward, Dorothy Gordon, and White Won- 

 der. The same exhibitor also secured the Covent 

 Garden Challenge Cup, which he won outright, 

 for two varieties of Market Carnations, with the 

 varieties Gloriosa and Winsor. Other competitors 

 in this class were Col. Rideout and Messrs. 

 Allwood Bros. 



The special prize offered by Mr. F. C. Har- 

 wood, for six vases of Carnations, distinct, 12 

 blooms in each vase, no wires, rings, or artificial 

 supports being permitted, a split calyx to dis- 

 qualify, was also secured by Mr. W. E. 

 Wallace, who showed good blooms of Delight' 

 Scarlet Glow, Winsor, White Perfection, May 

 Day, and Rose-Pink Enchantress. 



Mr. E. Guile, Newport Carnation Nurseries, 

 J^ssex, won the 1st prize for 25 blooms of a light 



u? V a v iety ' wilh Lady Me y er > Allowed by Mr. 

 I tv Wallace witn Enchantress. In a similar 

 class Mr C. Engelmann secured the 1st prize 

 with Lady Northcliffe, salmon-pink; 2nd, Mr 

 Wallace, with Delight. 



For 25 blooms of Rose-pink variety, Col. 

 Hideout secured the 1st prize with Winsor, and 

 Mr. \\ allace was placed 2nd with Ros^-Pink En- 

 chantress. In a similar class for varieties of a 

 deep-rose colour, Mr. Wallace excelled with 

 Mrs C. W Ward, Mrs. D. M. Collins, Swan- 

 ley being placed 2nd with Mrs. T. W. Lawson. 



For 25 blooms of a white variety Mr. Wallace 

 again won the 1st prize with White Perfection, 

 and he also excelled in the class for 25 blooms of 

 a scarlet variety with Scarlet Glow, Sir Randolf 

 TT P^' . R . a nston, Blandford (gr. Mr. A. E. 

 usner), being placed 2nd with the same variety. 



In the crimson class Mr. C. Engelmann led 

 with splendid blooms of Carola, followed by Mr 

 Wallace and Mrs. Collins. 



an? 1 " S ID = 0UT was Placed 1st for 25 blooms of 

 any self-coloured variety not included in the 



Collins being 2nd with the same variety. 



•Mr. C. Engelmann secured 1st prize in the 

 rancy class, and in the class for 12 blooms of any 



exhn ;7 7 a i ie ^ y not in ™ min erce. The same 

 exhibitor took 1st with Lady Northcliffe, fd- 



S*t X Mr , V' ?• WALLACE with U ™ T?e 

 silver-gilt medal of the society, offered for the 



elaLc aSe ° f Carnati <>"s shown in the above 

 Perfection 8 Se ° Ured by **> Wallace for White 



*ifld\i eC TH Y \Z laSS for a vase of 36 Wooms, 

 Messrs f % P lf ert > «" special prize offered by 



w^T4^ ^ *5 Sons > was won b y Mr. 



Delight? a handsome vase of the variety 



In the decorative classes Messrs. R. F. Felton 



whSt i?T d th€ **** basket 0f Carnations! 

 ^Sr N ?' 116b > king's Road, CheL 



thr^e snrav, 1 / n ^ e . cla f es for to a bouquet, (b) 



^d K^ ¥™ B™. Guild- 



Gentlemen's Gardeners and Amateurs 



Classes. 



There was only one exhibit in the class for 

 a group of perpetual-flowering Carnation plants, 

 for which the President's prize, a silver-gilt vase, 

 was offered. The exhibitor was Mrs. Bischoff- 

 scheim, The Warren House, Stanmore (grower, 

 Mr. J. H. Bruce), and the group was much 

 admired. 



There was a new class, for a circular table 

 suitable for a sitting room, decorated with cut 

 Carnations. Mrs. A. F. Robinson, Park Hill, 

 Carshalton, won the 1st prize for a beautifully- 

 arranged table. 



The "Bush Hill" Cup, offered by Messrs. 

 Stuart Low & Co., for four distinct novelties 

 sent out by the firm, was won by Sir Randolf 

 Baker, who also won the " Burnett " Cup, 

 offered for 12 blooms of varieties raised by Mr. 

 H. Burnett. 



In the class for six blooms of Mr. Burnett's 

 novelties, Capt. Wiener, Ewell Castle, Surrey 

 (gr. Mr. H. Lloyd), secured the 1st prize. 



Sir Randolf L. Baker won the "Wells" 

 Silver-gilt Medal with the variety White House, 

 and he was also 1st in the class for 25 blooms ar- 

 ranged in a decorative vase, the prizes being 



given by Mr. G. H. Lawrence, Godstone, Sur- 

 rey. 



The prize-winners in the colour classes in this 

 section were Sir Randolf Baker ; Lord Hilling- 

 don, Hillingdon Court, Uxbridge (gr. A. R. 

 Allan); Lord Burnham, Hall Barn, Bt aeonsfield 

 (gr. G. Johnson) ; and S. F. Jackson, Esq., Danc- 

 hurst, Epsom (gr. G. Boyd), who was awarded the 

 special prize offered for the best vase of Car- 

 nations in this section, showing the variety 



Carola. 



Amateurs not Employing a Gardener 



Regularly. 



Mr. Fred Elgar, Harnham, Salisbury, 

 secured the leading honours in this section, win- 

 ning the silver challenge cup presented by Mrs. 

 J. E. Peters, Windlesham, the special prize of 

 an "Abol" syringe, and also the silver medal 

 offered by Mr. E. A. Watts for the greatest 

 aggregate number of points. 



Non-competitive Awards. 



Large Gold Medal. — To Mr. C. Engelmann, for 

 a collection of Carnations occupying the whole 

 width of the hall. 



Gold Medal. — To Mr. H. Burnett, Guernsey. 



Silver-gilt Medals. — To Messrs. Stuart Low & 

 Co., Bush Hill Park, who showed the new 

 variety named Cinnabar; Messrs. Young & Co., 

 Cheltenham; and Messrs. Wm. Cutbush & Son, 

 Highgate. 



Silver Medals were awarded to the Newport 

 Carnation Nurseries for an excellent exhibit of 

 Lady Meyer variety, and to Mr. C. F. Waters, 

 Deanland Nursery, Balcombe. 



Award 



Merit. 



Carnation Lady Northcliffe, 

 salmon pink colour, shown by the 

 Engelmann, Saffron Walden. 



a variety of 

 raiser, Mr. C. 





THE CONFERENCE. 



During the afternoon of the first day a con- 

 ference on Carnations was held in the Lecture 

 Hall, Mr. J. S. Brunton presiding. Papers were 

 read by Mr. F. Fitch, The Gardens, Balls Park, 

 Hertford, on " The Cultivation of Carnations for 

 Amateurs/' and by the Secretary, Mr. E. F. 

 Hawes, on " Carnations as Bedding Plants." 

 Extracts of the papers are given below. 



CULTIVATION OF 



FLOWER 



ING CARNATIONS FOR AMATEURS. 



Mr. Fitch said that the perpetual -flowering 

 Carnation is essentially a flower for the amateur, 

 for besides its many other qualities, it is easy to 

 cultivate and it will flower the whole year round, 

 whilst the blooms last longer when cut, and travel 

 better than most other flowers. During the past 

 two months I have sent one or two hundred 

 blooms every week to the South of Franco by 

 parcels post, and they have arrived in a per- 

 fect condition. I know of no other flower that 

 is so remunerative to grow, for one can always 

 go to the Carnation house and be sure of finding 



some flowers fit to cut during almost any week 

 in the vear. 



If the amateur can devote a house to the cul- 

 ture of the perpetual-flowering Carnation, I 

 would advise him to do so, as the dry, buoyant 

 atmosphere essential to their well-being is more 

 difficult to maintain if the house contains other 

 plants requiring different treatment. The house 

 should be placed so as to obtain all the sun pos- 

 sible during the dull days of winter. Ventilators 

 should be arranged along the roof and at tri3 

 sides of the house. The house should be provide 1 

 with pipes sufficient to maintain a temperature « f 

 50° whilst the top ventilators are open. 



Propagation should take place between De- 

 cember and March; plants rooted in January 

 make the best specimens. Selecting shoots halt- 

 way up the stem, they should be taken off when 

 about 3 inches long, with a gentle pull. 



Cuttings root well in a temperature of 50° to 

 55° and a bottom heat of about 60°. American 

 cultivators and market growers in this coun- 

 try make a bed of soft bricks placed over a 

 Eit with hot-water pipes enclosed about 2 feet 

 elow them. On the bricks is then placed some 

 sharp sand, about 3 inches deep, which is made 

 firm, and watered with a fine rose. The cuttings 

 are inserted in rows about 2 inches apart, and 

 1 inch from cutting to cutting, the whole being 

 covered with a glass case. 



The soft brick bottom absorbs the moisture 

 from the sand, and returns it again when the 

 sand becomes dry, so that the bottom of the 

 cutting is always kept at a uniform moisture. 



A good plan for the amateur is to place a case, 

 a box with a sheet of glass over the top, or a 

 handlight in a corner of the house, where it will 

 get the requisite amount of bottom heat. It 

 should have Cocoa-nut fibre or some such material 

 placed in it. Seed-pans or Strawberry saucers 

 should be filled with sand, moistened with water 

 from a fine rose, and the cuttings inserted. Place 

 the pans in the case, where they will require very 

 little water until they are rooted, which should 

 be from three to four weeks, but on no account 

 should the sand be allowed to dry through. This 

 mode is better for the amateur in several ways 

 than pricking them out in the bed, for it not only 

 produces the effect of the soft bricks as nearly as 

 possible, but as some varieties are longer rooting 

 than others, and the amateur is not able to 

 obtain all his cuttings at the same time, he 

 can remove each pan from the case as they 

 became rooted, leaving the others to enjoy the 

 closer atmosphere. Care should be taken* that 

 the cuttings do not lie about or get dry, but are 

 inserted as soon as possible after being taken 

 off the plants. After they are placed in the 

 frame, put on the glass, shade from bright sun, 

 and admit air for an hour or so each day, wiping 

 the glass free from any moisture. If these direc- 

 tions are followed, the cuttings will be sturdy and 

 strong, and no larger than when inserted. It is 

 a great mistake to allow the cutting to begin 

 growth until rooted. 



When only a few plants are required, procure 

 a 10-inch or 12-inch pot, place material for drain- 

 age in the bottom, and fill up to within 5 or 6 

 inches of the top with sand. Insert the cut- 

 tings, and place a piece of glass upon the top of 



the pot, which should be stood on the top of a 

 hot-water pipe and treated in the same manner 

 as if in the propagating case. 



When the cuttings become rooted, gradually 

 harden them off and pot them into 2-inch pots, 

 using a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-soil, 

 and sand, with a few wood ashes added. Stand 

 them in a light position in a temperature of 50° 

 to 55°. Shade the cuttings from bright sunshine 

 for a few days until they are established, and 

 water them carefully. A slight spraying overhead 

 may be given with advantage on bright day-, 

 but this should always be done in the early morn- 

 ing, so that the foliage may become dry before 

 night. A word of caution may be given as to 

 the manner of removing the cuttings from the 

 sand. Keep the plants growing actively, and as 

 soon as the roots show round the sides of the 

 pots pot them on into 3^-inch or 4-inch pots. 

 Use a compost of three-parts of good loam that 

 has been stacked for some time, one of flaky leaf- 

 soil, and one of old mortar rubble, or screenings 

 from a clay or smother fire, and sand with a good 

 sprinkling of wood ashes. Pass the whole 

 through a 5-inch sieve. Take care at each pot- 

 ting that the stem of the plant is not buried 

 lower than previously, or stem-Tot will be likely 

 to ensue. 



